Apparatus for capturing and destroying hair within a shower drain

ABSTRACT

A system for capturing and destroying hair and waste within a shower drain includes a basket placed in the drain which holds a rod including an enzyme blend. The basket captures hair or waste that is washed down shower drains. The enzyme blend neutralizes the hair or waste. The result is a clear drain and clear plumbing, with minimal manual labor. The basket does not require removal because the hair and waste are neutralized before a clog can develop. The enzyme blend is safer for both users and the plumbing systems treated than conventional drain cleaning chemicals.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a non-provisional application of U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application Ser. No. 62/908/626, filed Oct. 1, 2019, entitled “Anapparatus for capturing and destroying hair within a shower drain”,which is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

Hair and waste buildup often cause drain clogging and water backup in ashower, especially communal showers. Unclogging a shower drain can betime consuming, expensive, disgusting, and often dangerous. As hair andwaste build up on the inside of a shower drain, adhered buildup requirespowerful chemicals to break it down. Industrial drain maintenancegenerally includes monitoring for clogs, manual drain “snaking”, andapplying powerfully corrosive chemicals based largely on acidiccompounds to remove clogs.

SUMMARY

A system for capturing and destroying hair and waste within a showerdrain includes a basket placed in the drain which holds a rod includingan enzyme blend. The basket captures hair or waste that is washed downthe shower drain. The enzyme blend neutralizes the hair or wastecaptured in the basket. The result is a clear drain and clear plumbingwith minimal manual labor. The basket does not require removal becausethe hair and waste are neutralized before a clog can develop. The enzymeblend is safer for both users and the plumbing systems treated thanconventional drain cleaning chemicals.

The basket is designed to allow water to flow through the basket andinto drain pipes, while pushing hair and waste to a waste chamber in thebasket. The basket has an outer diameter compatible with a shower drainpipe. The basket also can have a lofted outer lip or other extensionwhich allows the basket to be supported by the inlet of the showerdrain. An upper section allows water to flow without allowing hair orwaste to escape, by employing a first set of small holes. A middlesection of the basket directs hair or waste to a waste chamber. Finally,the waste chamber has a second set of smaller holes positioned at adistance above the bottom of the waste chamber to keep a level ofstanding water or reservoir in the wage chamber, while allowing excesswater to flow out. The enzyme rod is placed in the waste chamber,supported by the bottom of the basket. In the waste chamber, the enzymerod decomposes hair or waste into a liquid-based state.

The enzyme rod can include an enzyme blend which attacks sulfur bonds inhair while being accelerated by other catalysts. Because the basketcaptures hair or waste, thereby preventing the captured hair and wastefrom sticking to the inside of pipes, the enzyme blend does not need toattack chemical bonds that form between the hair or waste and the pipes.Thus, because the basket and enzyme rod prevents clogs due to hair orwaste from occurring, the enzyme rod can incorporate naturally occurringand non-harmful chemicals, which is more environmentally friendly andsafer on skin than conventional clog removers. The enzyme blend includesprimarily Keratinase and Amylase, and can include other materials suchas Trypsin, Sodium Thioglycolate, and/or Sodium Hydroxide. The enzymeblend can work using a delayed decomposition method.

The enzyme rod can be formed in any desired shape, but the shape shouldallow the rod to be placed into the waste chamber through drain holes inany shower drain cover. For example, the medium of the enzyme can be apowder which can be pressed compactly to create a rod or other desiredshape.

The enzyme rod can be coated with a reaction delaying compound, which isa chemical that delays the reactivity of the enzyme after the rodsubmerged in water. The coating can be regressive from top to bottom, soas to intentionally activate the rod incrementally. For example, afteran enzyme rod is pressed into a compacted, dense rod, it can then becoated with calcium sulfate or polyvinyl alcohol. The medium can beadded in increasing amounts from bottom to top of the rod, so as tocreate a fuse-like delay in decomposition. As the bottom of the enzymerod disintegrates and begins to break down the waste, the rod itselfdrops down which allows the rod to slowly activate rather than breakdownall at once and wash out. Rather than allow the entire rod to dissolveat once, the geometry of the rod and the levels of calcium sulfatecoating allows level of the rod closer to the bottom of the wastechamber to be activated before levels closer to the top of the wastechamber.

The system can be installed in the drain and remain in the drain,without having to unscrew any shower drain cover to replenish the enzymerod and/or to clean the drain by hand. If the basket is full with hairor waste, the enzyme rod has probably been depleted, and a new enzymerod can be dropped through any hole in the shower drain cover and intothe chamber in the basket

The basket can include a sensor system. The sensor system can include aset of phototransistors and/or photoresistors to detect whether thebasket is full. A threshold can be set for the sensors so that, whenenough hair or waste accumulates in the basket, a signal can betriggered, indicating that an enzyme rod should be placed in the basket.The signal can be, for example, a signal activating a light emittingdiode (LED) on top of the outer rim the basket. An individual candetermine whether to insert an enzyme rod or not based on inspection ofthe basket, or a regular replacement schedule, or a triggered signalfrom a sensor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side plan view of an illustrative example of a drain basket.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the drain basket of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the drain basket of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross-section of the side plan view of FIG. 1 along line B-Bof FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another illustrative example of a drainbasket.

FIG. 6 is a side plan view of an illustrative example of a drain basket.

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the drain basket of FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view of the drain basket of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a cross-section of the side plan view of FIG. 6 along lineB-B.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the drain basket of FIG. 6.

FIG. 11 is a perspective, cross-sectional view of an illustrativeexample of an enzyme rod with a coating.

FIGS. 12A and 12B show an illustrative example of a drain basket with asensor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Turning now to FIGS. 1 through 5, a first illustrative example ofconstruction of a drain basket will now be described. The basket 100 hasan outer diameter 120 compatible with a shower drain pipe. The basketalso can have a lofted outer lip or other extension 122 which allows thebasket to be supported by the inlet of the shower drain. An uppersection 102 allows water to flow without allowing hair or waste toescape, by employing a first set of small holes 108 in steep walls. Amiddle section 104 of the basket directs hair or waste to a wastechamber 106. The waste chamber has a second set of smaller holes 110positioned at a distance above the bottom of the waste chamber, and thebottom of the basket 112 does not have holes, to keep a level ofstanding water or reservoir in the waste chamber, while allowing excesswater to flow out of the holes 110. The continuous narrowing of theinner diameter of the basket from the top section 102, to the middlesection 104 to the waste chamber 106 allows for minimal water backup andoptimal draining. The enzyme rod is placed in the waste chamber,supported by the bottom 112 of the basket. Holes 110 allow excess waterto flow freely out of the basket while trapping a specific amount ofwater to activate the enzyme blend which acts on hair or waste capturedin the waste chamber 106.

The basket can be constructed using durable plastics or stainless steel.The construction of the basket allows it to withstand hundreds of useswithout decomposing or needing manual cleaning. The basket, onceconstructed, is installed simply by removing the drain cover and placingthe basket snugly into the drain mouth, for which a standard innerdiameter is about 2.0 inches. After re-installing the drain cover, thebasket installation is complete. The enzyme rod can be sized to fitholes in the drain cover, allowing the enzyme rod to be dropped into thewaste chamber of the basket through the drain cover.

A top plan view is illustrated in FIG. 2. The waste chamber has a bottom112, above which are narrower holes 110. Larger holes 108 are in the topsection of the drain basket. Extensions 122 can support the drain baskethanging the basket on the top of the shower drain. A bottom plan view isillustrated in FIG. 3. The bottom 112 is larger in FIG. 3 than in FIG. 2due to the thickness of the material forming the basket. Narrower holes110 are above the bottom 112; larger holes 108 are in the top section ofthe drain basket. A cross-section along line B-B in FIG. 2 is shown inFIG. 4. A perspective view of another illustrative example of a drainbasket 100A without the extensions 122 is shown in FIG. 5.

In one example construction, the basket can have a 1.6 inches,universally-compatible, outer diameter, along with a lofted 2.2 inches,universally-compatible, outer lip, which allows the basket to snugly fitshower drain compliant with plumbing regulations used in the UnitedStates. The drain basket can be, for example, approximately 3.25 incheslong from extensions 122 to the bottom 112. In FIGS. 1 through 5, thedrain basket is illustrated as having three rows of larger diameterholes 108 in the upper section 102 of the basket. Such holes can be, forexample about 0.25 inches in diameter. The waste chamber 112 has apattern of holes 110 of a smaller diameter at the top of the wastechamber. For example, a bottom row of holes 110 can be about 1.0 inchesfrom the bottom 112 of the waste chamber. One or more rows of holes 110can be provided one implementation, such holes 110 can have a diameterof about 0.125 inches.

Furthermore, the basket is designed for optimal performance andefficiency. The 1.5″ upper section allows for maximum water flow,without allowing hair or waste to escape, by employing a system of ¼″diameter holes. The middle section of the basket directs hair to thewaste chamber without allowing any waste to escape or water to backupinto the shower. Finally, the waste chamber employs ⅛″ holes tocarefully keep the desired level of standing water while flowing outexcess water.

Turning now to FIGS. 6 through 10, a second illustrative example ofconstruction of a drain basket will now be described. The basket 200 hasan outer diameter 220 compatible with a shower drain pipe. The basketalso can have a lofted outer lip 222 which allows the basket to besupported by the inlet of the shower drain. An upper section 202 allowswater to flow without allowing hair or waste to escape, by employing afirst set of small holes (not shown) in steep walls. A middle section204 of the basket directs hair or waste to a waste chamber 206. Themiddle section may also have holes (not shown). The waste chamber 206has a second set of smaller holes (not shown) positioned at a distanceabove the bottom of the waste chamber, and the bottom of the basket 212does not have holes to keep a level of standing water or reservoir inthe waste chamber 200, while allowing excess water to flow out of thesecond set of holes. The continuous narrowing of the inner diameter ofthe basket from the top section 202, to the middle section 204 to thewaste chamber 206 allows for minimal water backup and optimal draining.The enzyme rod is placed in the waste chamber 206, supported by thebottom 212 of the basket. The second set of holes near the top of thewaste chamber allow excess water to flow freely out of the basket whiletrapping a specific amount of water to activate the enzyme blend whichacts on hair or waste captured in the waste chamber 206.

A top plan view is illustrated in FIG. 7. The waste chamber has a bottom212, above which are narrower holes (not shown). Larger holes (notshown) are in at least the top section 202 of the drain basket. A lip222 can support the drain basket by hanging the basket on the top of theshower drain. A bottom plan view is illustrated in FIG. 9. The bottom212 is larger in FIG. 9 than in FIG. 7 due to the thickness of thematerial forming the basket. Narrower holes (not shown) can be formedabove the bottom 112; larger holes (not shown) can be formed in at leastthe top section of the drain basket. A cross-section along line B-B inFIG. 6 is shown in FIG. 8. A perspective view of this illustrativeexample of a drain basket 200 is shown in FIG. 10.

FIGS. 6 through 10 do not illustrate any particular hole patterns, sinceany of a variety of hole patterns can be used. Generally, holes the topsection are more numerous and larger than holes at the top of the wastechamber.

Turning now to FIG. 11, the enzyme rod 300 includes an enzyme blendwhich attacks sulfur bonds in hair while being accelerated by othercatalysts. Because the basket prevents hair or waste from sticking tothe inside of pipes, the enzyme blend does not need to attack chemicalbonds that form between waste and pipes. Thus, because the basket andenzyme rod prevent clogs due to hair or waste from occurring, the enzymerod can incorporate naturally occurring and non-harmful chemicals, whichis more environmentally friendly and safer on skin than conventionalclog removers. The enzyme blend includes primarily Keratinase andAmylase, and can include other materials such as Trypsin, SodiumThioglycolate, and/or Sodium Hydroxide. The enzyme blend can work as adelayed decomposition method.

In one example formulation, a suitable mixture can include:

1. Keratinase: 20% to 35%

2. Amylase: 20% to 35%

3. Sodium Hydroxide: 5% to 30%

4. (Optional) Base medium: 5% to 20%

5. (Optional) Trypsin: 10% to 20%

6. (Optional) Sodium Thioglycolate: 5% to 30%

7. (Optional) Polyvinyl Alcohol: 5% to 15%

The enzyme rod can be formed in any desired shape, but the shape shouldallow the rod to be placed into the waste chamber through drain holes inany shower drain cover. For example, the medium of the enzyme can be apowder which can be pressed compactly to create a rod or other desiredshape. The invention is not limited to a substantially cylindricallyshaped rod as shown in FIG. 11, nor should the term “rod” be construedto imply any particular shape. So long as the shape of the rod allowsthe rod to be supported by the bottom of the waste chamber, and to passthrough the shower drain cover, any shape of the rod is suitable.

The enzyme rod can be coated with a reaction delaying compound 306,which is a chemical that delays the reactivity of to enzyme after therod submerged in water. The coating can be regressive from top tobottom, so as to intentionally activate the rod incrementally. Forexample, after an enzyme rod is pressed into a compacted, dense rod, itcan then be coated with calcium sulfate. As shown in FIG. 11, thecalcium sulfate can be added in increasing amounts from bottom 302 ofthe rod to top 304 of the rod, so as to create a fuse-like delay indecomposition. As the bottom of the enzyme rod disintegrates and beginsto break down the waste, the rod itself drops down which allows the rodto slowly activate rather than break down all at once and wash out.Rather than allow the entire rod to dissolve at once, the geometry ofthe rod and the levels of calcium sulfate coating allow a level of therod closer to the bottom of the waste chamber to be activated beforelevels closer to the top of the waste chamber. This mechanism is easilyidentified by geometry of the rod as well as the appearance of the rod,indicating which way down.

The enzyme rod and the drain basket work in a symbiotic relationship.The basket allows the rod to activate in a small, targeted area of wastecollection. Furthermore, the rod installation is as simple as droppingit through a drain cover each time the bottom of the drain basket fillswith hair.

As shown in FIG. 12, a basket 400 can include a sensor system. Thesensor system can include, for example, a set of phototransistors 402and/or photoresistors 404 using infrared light to sense whether thebasket is full. These can be placed at or just above the holes (e.g.,110 in FIG. 1) above the waste chamber. A small battery, similar tobatteries used in a watch or a smoke detector, can be used to power thesensor system, and can be attached near the top and on the outside ofthe basket (e.g., at 408). The battery can employ an indication systemsimilar to the common smoke detector. Wiring 410 and a small customcircuit board (not shown) allow diverse programming options, such asInternet connectivity and computer learning. A threshold can be set forthe sensors so that, when enough hair or waste accumulates in thebasket, a signal can be triggered, indicating that an enzyme rod shouldbe placed in the basket. The signal can be, for example, a signalactivating at least one light emitting diode (LED) 406 on top of theouter rim of the basket. There may be two LED's, e.g., one green(signifying adequate operation) and one red (signifying time forreplacement). An individual can determine whether to insert an enzymerod or not based on inspection of the basket, or a regular replacementschedule, or a triggered signal from a sensor.

It should be understood that the subject matter defined in the appendedclaims is not necessarily limited to the specific implementationsdescribed above. The specific implementations described above aredisclosed as examples only.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for capturing and breaking down hair orwaste in a plumbing drain, said system comprising: a drain basket,including: an upper section including a tapered upper wall having afirst plurality of holes extending therethrough at an upper end thereof,and a second plurality of holes extending through said tapered wall at alower end thereof; and a lower section having a lower wall extendingfrom a bottom end of said tapered wall to a bottom wall, which togetherdefine a waste chamber; a rod sized to fit within said drain basket andincluding: a first medium including an enzyme blend of keratinase andamylase formed into the shape of a rod; and a coating of calcium sulfateand/or polyvinyl alcohol on said rod for delaying reaction of said firstmedium with said hair or waste.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein saidfirst medium additionally includes a compound selected from the groupconsisting of: trypsin, sodium thioglycolate, and sodium hydroxide. 3.The system of claim 2, wherein said first medium additionally includestrypsin.
 4. The system of claim 2, wherein said first mediumadditionally includes sodium thioglycolate.
 5. The system of claim 2,wherein said first medium additionally includes sodium hydroxide.
 6. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein said coating decreases in thickness from atop to a bottom of said rod.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein saidlower wall is cylindrical.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein said uppersection further includes an upper cylindrical wall section extendingfrom an upper end of said tapered wall.
 9. The system of claim 8,wherein said upper cylindrical wall section extending from an upper endof said tapered wall further includes a third plurality of holesextending therethrough.
 10. The system of claim 8, wherein said uppercylindrical wall section extending from an upper end of said taperedwall further includes extensions for hanging said drain basket from saidplumbing drain.
 11. The system of claim 1, wherein said tapered wallincludes a portion between said first plurality of holes and said secondplurality of holes that is free of holes.
 12. The system of claim 1,wherein said first plurality of holes has a larger diameter than saidsecond plurality of holes.
 13. The system of claim 1, wherein said firstplurality of holes and said third plurality of holes are ofsubstantially the same diameter.
 14. The system of claim 1, wherein saiddrain basket is constructed from stainless steel.
 15. The system ofclaim 1, wherein said drain basket is constructed from a plasticmaterial.